Process for the precipitation of copper and for the treatment of substances containing copper and nickel



Patented Jan. 19,19 3? I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE raocass mu m momma-non or corms rims-r or s PER AND FOR srsscas CONTAINING corrsa. my menu.

Fritz Lsusberg, nusseldorf-oberkassel,

assisnor to I'irma Dr. Kurt Germany, Albert G. m. b. 11.,

Neuss, Germany, a limited corporation Serial No. 83,858.

4 Claims.

temperatures below 100' C. At temperatures ofmore than 100 C. however. the conversion takes place rapidly and in a short time.

Example of execution A solution containing copper is heated in auto-- claves, with a quantity of nickel alloy shavings, to a temperature of about 160-l80 C. the quantity of nickel in the nickel alloy shavings being so chosen that it corresponds to the quantity of copper in the solution. In a few hours, all the copper is precipitated from the solution and the -solution.is free irom copper. Y Instead of the previous content in .copper, it now contains a corresponding quantity of nickel.

The invention furthermore refers to the'treatvment of alloys containing copper andonickel or substances of like COIIIDOBIHOIL' in particular those having a nickel content which exceeds the copper content. These alloys, are, according to the previous state-of the art, not easily decomposable, for example by sulphuric acid, for treatment by wet process and. for the production of nickel salts andcopper salts, because at peratures up to 100 0. they arescaregly soluble insulphuric acidjand at temperatures upto 100 C. the precipitation of the copper by the nickel takes It has n been found that the decomposition of such materials can be very considerably acceleratedif the decomposition with acid takes {place-at temperaturesof above 100 C. and under increased pressure. c d

It may with certain alloysand substances, be advisable to eifect a preliminary oxidation ofthe material, by which they are oxidized on the surface, so that the dissolving reaction is more rapidly initiated- The decomposition under the said conditions is completed 'in' a shortertime and the at ce too slowly, as isabove."

Drawing. Application February 12, 1936.-

In Germany December 8,,

I the same time deposited by the nickel content, as

. cement copper, provided that it isa question of such alloys, the nickel content of which suilices to eifect the complete separation of the copper.

' In any case, a suitable classification of the materials to be treated can be elfected,,so that all the copper is deposited and, on the one hand,

i a nickel lye free from copper and,'oh the other hand, cement copper free from nickel, are a obtained.

Example of execution 1000 g. of Monel metal scrap heated for a short time to 100-800 .0; whereby theyj are thoroughly oxidized on the surface, The material thus preliminarilytreated is heated in autoclaves with the suitable addition of sulphuric acid'to about l-180 C. In a few hours, the decomposition of the material takes place and there is obtained a saturated ci'irstallizable if necessary be separated from. any existingimpui' ties or from other metals, whilst the copper is epositedas copper powderor cement copper which can either be used as such, or can be con-. verted in known manner to copper sulphateor other copper compounds. iliflving now particularly described and ascer- 1 tained'thenature of m said invention and in what manner the sameisto beperformed, I J

declare that what I claim is: 1 30 Process for. the precipitation of copper from solutions containingv copper,- by nickel, characterizedbythe; precipitation taking place at term perittures above C.- and under increased I 2. Pro'cess for the decompogtion of alloyscon taininglnickeland copper or other substances containing nickel and copper, the nickel content 'of which is greater,than{thc copper content, or

- the nickel content of which is brought by the additlon'ofuiickei or material containing nickel,

to a suillcient content in nickel, with the simultaneous' separation of the. copper from nickel by the process according to claim *1 characterized by the alloy il'lld waste containing nickel and copper being decomposed by acid at temperaturesofmoretlian 100. C.withincreas edpressure. the copper entering into solution being precipitatedbytheniekolasconcentratedor' cement copper. r

nickel-sulphate solution which must afterwards 3. The process of precipitating metallic. copper from solutions containing copper which consists in adding to the solution; a. quantity "of nickel equivalent to the quantity of copper in the solu-' tion and subjecting the bath thus formed to a temperature between 160 and 180 centigrade and simultaneously therewith subjecting the bath to presume 4. The process or separatingjand recovering the copper i'rom copper-nickel alloys which consistsinsubjectifigscrapeofthealloytoanoxy- 'dizing temperatureunfllthesurtaoesofthe scraps are oxydized, dissolving the oxydiled ma.-

terial in a. solution of sulphm'ic acid under pres- 5 

